


Grinder

by madlysanecatlady



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bottom Gladio, Gladnis, I'm on a Judas Priest kick I guess, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:25:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: Ignis has a bit of a reputation. Gladio's about to see if he lives up to it.





	Grinder

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a Judas Priest kick. Prepare yourselves. I feel the inspiration flowing.

The lights in the club were dim, making the strobing of the lights on the dance floor all the more jarring as they flashed and moved in beat to the loud, thumping music. Gladio leaned against the bar, waiting for his drink from the harried-looking bartender.

‘So sorry for the wait, gorgeous,’ he said, sliding the pair of beers he’d ordered over to Gladio. ‘Tonight’s crazy. Eight mojitos in a row. It’s like they want me to have a total emotional breakdown by the end of the night.’

‘Not a problem,’ Gladio smiled and paid, leaving a generous tip. ‘What’s got tonight so crazy?’

‘Who’s to say,’ the bartender shrugged. ‘Thanks, hun. You’re the most generous I’ve had all night.’

‘I’m nothing if not charmingly kind,’ Gladio winked. ‘Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be back to see you before long.’

‘You better be, hot stuff,’ the bartender winked back. ‘I’ll be waiting for you.’

Gladio smiled at him before making his way back to his companion for the evening, taking a moment to look back at the handsome bartender. He was lithe and tall filling out his shirt and jeans in a way that should be illegal and his fair brown hair was styled impeccably. He was pretty much Gladio’s type to a T. Why, then, wasn’t he making a move?

‘Saw you chatting up the bartender,’ Crowe smirked, accepting her beer from him with a quick thanks. ‘You get his number?’

‘Naw, he’s busy,’ Gladio shook his head.

‘That’s a stupid excuse,’ Crowe huffed. ‘He was checking you out something fierce. Why the hell wouldn’t you try and get some of that?’

Gladio silently wondered the same damn thing. What the hell was wrong with him tonight? Gladio shrugged. ‘The night is still young. We’ve both got plenty of time to catch us something sweet.’

‘Hell yeah,’ Crowe clinked their glasses together with a grin. ‘Thanks for coming here with me tonight. It’s nice being here with someone who gets it, y’know?’

‘Yeah, it’s nice,’ Gladio agreed, taking a long drink of his beer. Crowe had come out to him a few months earlier, thinking he would be a pretty safe bet on acceptance, given his being rather open about his own rather fluid sexuality. A new gay club hopping buddy was a pretty stellar reward for Gladio’s rather simple act of being a decent human being to her. ‘And you gotta admit, I’m a helluva wingman.’

‘Pfft, yeah right,’ Crowe rolled her eyes. ‘You _know_ I’m the one doing all the helping _you_ score. But for real, you need a spot on that bartender? I will talk you up so much he’ll think he’s up for a date with the prince himself, not just his Shield.’

Gladio smiled. Crowe was a real friend, that was for sure. ‘How’s about we trade off for a night and I help you out, huh? I’m starting to think I’ve been a lousy friend.’

‘Naw, I’m plenty fine, don’t worry,’ Crowe winked. ‘I mean, a lot of girls are lining up to get with a Glaive. You know how it is.’

‘I do, yeah,’ Gladio nodded, eyes heading towards the door as he noticed someone new walking in. His jaw almost hit the floor when he noticed who it was.

His eyes followed Ignis, looking very different from his usual prim and proper self Gladio always saw when they were working. His shirt was fitted black silk, the top four buttons undone, giving just a peek at the alabaster flesh underneath. His trousers, dark denim cut with leather trim, were fitted and tight in all the right places, accentuating the figure Gladio knew he had from countless hours of fighting and gymnastic training. His hair, normally down while he was at work, was styled up and out of his face, emphasising the cut of his jaw and the smooth lines of his face. His glasses glinted in the heady lights from the club as he walked towards the bar, his hips swaying rhythmically as he walked. Gladio swallowed, feeling a familiar shiver travelling down his spine. If the bartender had checked off most of his boxes for Gladio’s perfect type, Ignis checked them _all_ , especially looking the way he did now. This was _dangerous_. Gladio didn’t know if he should be here, under the haze of club lights and alcohol, with the subject of so many of his less-than appropriate thoughts in his eyeline.

‘Aha, and things get interesting,’ Crowe followed his gaze and grinned widely. ‘Wonder who he’s gonna eat up tonight.’

Gladio shook himself free from his thoughts, tearing his eyes way from Ignis to turn back to Crowe, confused. ‘What’re you talking about?’

‘Scientia,’ she nodded in Ignis’ direction. ‘He’s in here pretty often. Regulars call him the Grinder.’

‘Uh, why?’ Gladio was intrigued. He hadn’t known Ignis ever did anything outside of working himself to death. He _certainly_ hadn’t pictured him as the club-going type. He watched Ignis order a drink for himself, seeming to flirt rather heavily with the bartender, who seemed more than willing to reciprocate, smiling widely as he fixed Ignis’ drink. Gladio couldn’t help but feel the jealousy rising in his chest, barely noticing that his hands had balled into fists.

‘Dude, you ok?’ Crowe eyed him apprehensively. ‘I thought you and he were friends? Why d’you look so pissed to see him here?’

‘I’m not,’ Gladio did his best to relax his stance. ‘Just surprised. You say he’s here often?’

‘Yeah. It’s impressive, really. I only wish I could reach his level. He comes in, picks a guy, woos him a bit, then leaves with him. A few days later it’s rinse and repeat. Guess the dude’s too busy for anything more, huh?’

Gladio shrugged noncommittally, watching Ignis turn his attention to a rather large man by the bar, eschewing his usual perfect stance to stand with one hip jutted out to the side as he chatted. Ignis seemed to have mastered the art of flirtatious charm; the man was responding well to everything Ignis said. Gladio would think it impressive if her wasn’t so damned jealous.

‘And so the Grinder strikes again. He eats all these poor boys alive and spits them back out before they even know what him ’em,’ Crowe laughed, watching as the man held out his hand for Ignis to take, leading him to the dance floor. Gladio’s eyes followed, entranced.

Ignis swayed in time to the music with sensuous abandon, pulling the man closer to him as he danced. Gladio frowned. He had never seen this side of his friend before and frankly, he was liking what he was seeing a bit _too_ much. He sucked in a deep breath before turning back to Crowe. ‘What do you say we rally get this party started? Shots?’

‘Finally,’ Crowe smiled. ‘I gotta start chugging down the courage juice if I’m going to have a chance at talking to her,’ he nodded towards a very pretty blonde who was dancing with a group of her friends.

They drank some shots, had a few more beers, and danced a bit before Gladio pushed Crowe towards the blonde, escaping to the washroom for a few much-needed minutes alone to try and collect his harried, straying thoughts. No matter what he drank, who he talked to, or how many of the club’s patrons flirted with him, Gladio couldn’t seem to get his mind off Ignis.

Gladio couldn’t think of a time he _hadn’t_ been so irresistibly attracted to his friend but had always done his best to keep it at bay, both for the sake of their friendship and their working relationship. They needed to be able to work together, trust each other, if they were to be of any help to Noctis. Gladio knew there was no room in there for any romantic complications, even if Ignis were even open to it. Up until this moment, it had been easy for Gladio to dismiss his attraction, telling himself that he was nowhere near Ignis’ type, or that Ignis was simply too prim and proper for them to ever be compatible as anything more than friends. His whole argument had been turned on its head this evening; not only did Ignis seem to have a completely different after-hours personality than Gladio ever could’ve imagined, if his choice of partner for the evening were any indicator, Gladio might just be his type as well. Gladio knew the correct thing to do with that information was _nothing_ , but he was having quite the difficult time in keeping that fact in mind.

He went to the sink, mind a little hazy from all the shots and beer, and splashed some cold water onto his face, hoping to clear his mind enough to let him salvage this evening, or in the very least, leave without doing something completely stupid. He leaned against the cold counter and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and trying to clear his mind.

‘ _Gladio?_ ’

His eyes shot open, spying Ignis reflected in the mirror behind him. Gladio spun around, almost knocking himself painfully against the edge of the counter in his haste. He took in another, shakier breath. ‘Oh, hey Iggy. What’s up?’

‘Are you alright?’ Ignis moved closer, seeming to be looking him up and down to try and see what had him hiding away in the bathroom like he had been.

‘Yeah, just taking a break,’ Gladio did his best to shrug nonchalantly, and even managed to break out his usual friendly smile. He was quite proud of himself for that achievement. ‘I, uh, didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘I could say the same about you,’ Ignis raised an eyebrow. ‘I, er, I’m generally more in line with their typical clientele here, am I not? I’ll admit, I’m a bit surprised to run into you here, of all places.’

‘What, you think I don’t fit in here? I don’t look too different from your big handsome friend out there,’ Gladio mentally kicked himself even as the words were spilling out of his mouth. He hadn’t wanted Ignis to know he had been watching him out there; that was going to be a difficult thing for him to explain without giving himself away.

‘Mm, someone’s got a high opinion of themselves,’ Ignis teased with a smirk. ‘Calling yourself handsome; you’re awfully lucky it’s very true.’ He paused, appearing to think on what he had just said. Gladio watching him swallow, unconsciously licking his lips as he did. Ignis’ sharp green eyes snapped towards the motion. He bit his lip before looking back up to Gladio, a pink tint starting to spread out across his cheeks. ‘You were watching me out there?’

‘I, uh, noticed you, yeah,’ Gladio hedged. ‘I guess you’ve got a reputation here…’

‘People talk, I can’t stop them,’ Ignis looked almost defiant. His eyes flicked downward and then back to Gladio’s face again. ‘Do you, er, have a reputation here?’

‘Ha, not that I know of,’ Gladio laughed humourlessly, heartbeat pounding in his head, louder than any of the music he’d heard blaring over the club’s speakers all night. ‘I like to think I give all the guys that do come home with me a good time. I haven’t heard about them talking about it after though.’

Ignis smiled. ‘So you _are_ here as a member of the target demographic and not simply with a friend?’

‘Well, I’m here for both reasons,’ Gladio shrugged. ‘I’m with Crowe, who’s probably already picked up that girl she was eyeing before I came in here. But I’d be lying if I was saying I wasn’t looking for myself too.’

Ignis bit his lip again. ‘I had no idea you weren’t straight, Gladio. You had that girlfriend a year or so ago… I guess I just assumed…’

‘I like girls just fine. But I tend to prefer guys. Not sure why. Uh, was that really a burning question on your mind or something?’

‘Well, honestly? Yes, a great deal, really,’ Ignis frowned. ‘You weren’t incorrect in comparing yourself to that handsome gentleman out there…’

‘Uh, Iggy, what’re you saying?’ Gladio did not dare let himself think anything of Ignis’ words; he barely dared breathe as he waited for his response.

‘I’m saying you are, well, _exactly_ my type,’ Ignis took another step closer. ‘Now I have to say I’m curious about what yours is.’

Gladio swallowed, licking his lips again, watching Ignis’ eyes zero in on his tongue as it moved between his lips. Gladio knew the answer to that question well. _Of course_ Ignis was his type; Ignis might even be the _reason_ Gladio had a type at all. But still, he really shouldn’t say so. Alcohol swirled in his system, clouding his brain, but still Gladio recognised that this was a bad idea. Ignis wasn’t just another guy in the club. He was his co-worker, hell he was one of the best friends he’d ever had. It would not do to ruin it like this, it really wouldn’t. But even as he thought that, his mouth declared anarchy, completely bypassing all reason and falling into a crooked smile. ‘Well, it just so happens you are _exactly_ mine.’

Ignis’ smile was small, but Gladio could see the warmth behind it. He had no opportunity to study it further, as before he could even react, those lips were crushing against his own, moving urgently as he walked Gladio backwards, almost slamming him into to white tiles that ran up the thankfully-clean washroom wall. This was new for him. Gladio wasn’t accustomed to being manoeuvred any which way, let alone being pushed up against the wall and getting completely tonsil-fucked out of his fucking mind. It certainly was out of the ordinary, but Gladio would be lying if he said he wanted it to ever stop.

Every time Gladio tried to take the initiative, Ignis would bite him sharply, renewing his position in control. Ignis was aptly named for certain, he was literal _fire_ , pressing Gladio into the wall, tongue and teeth licking and nipping Gladio into pure submission and he was _loving_ it. Gladio was used to taking charge in situations like this, having the control wrested away, while unusual, was undeniably _hot_. The fact that it was _Ignis_ pressing up against him only fuelled the raging fire inside him, and Gladio felt himself responding in full force.

It was only when Ignis’ deft fingers found their way to the buckle of Gladio’s belt that they both paused, pulling away to look at each other, breathing heavily. Gladio wanted to laugh, Ignis looked so ruffled with his hair all askew and his lips red and swollen, but he was also seized with the urge to lean down and claim those swollen lips again, maybe even take a stab at eating away some Ignis’ firm control on the whole situation. But even as that thought struck him, clarity was beginning to return to him and Gladio sighed.

‘Iggy… we _can’t_ ,’ Gladio intoned, even as every nerve in his body was screaming for him not to. ‘I want to, _gods_ do I want to, but you and I both know this can’t end well.’

Ignis smiled wryly. ‘I know I’ve got a reputation for grinding men up and spitting them back out, but Gladio, you _must_ know I wouldn’t hurt you.’

‘That’s not it, I’d trust you with my life,’ Gladio shook his head. ‘But… won’t it get weird? We have to work together. You’re pretty much my best friend. Won’t a one-night-stand kind of ruin all of that?’

Ignis looked confused. ‘Who said anything about a one-night-stand? I’m sorry Gladio, I think I misunderstood your intentions.’ He made to pull away entirely but was held back by a large hand wrapping around his wrist.

‘Wait,’ Gladio looked surprised. ‘You’re saying you didn’t just want another one-night-stand with a guy you picked up from the club?’

‘Not if said guy from the club is you,’ Ignis frowned. ‘These men hold no long-term attraction for me, but you… well, Gladio, to put it bluntly, I’m probably more than a little bit smitten.’

Gladio didn’t know what to say to that, so he simply leaned down to kiss him again, softer this time, but no less hungry. When he pulled away he smiled. ‘What do you say we get out of here?’

Ignis smiled and pulled back, taking Gladio’s hand in his. Without a word, Ignis tugged him towards the door and back out into the club. Across the floor, Gladio’s eyes met with Crowe’s. Her jaw dropped. He saw her mouth _what the fuck_ in his direction as Ignis tugged him along. Gladio simply shrugged at her and allowed himself to be dragged out of the club and into the chilly night air.

‘So,’ Ignis turned to smile mischievously up at him. ‘Your place or mine?’

Gladio smiled back. ‘Neither. We’re going to do this right, Iggy. You and I are going on a date.’

Ignis raised an eyebrow. ‘At this hour?’

‘Hell yeah,’ Gladio smiled. ‘I know a cute little coffee shop that’s open all night. They do things with Ebony you never would have dreamed of.’

Ignis chuckled. ‘You needn’t win my affections, Gladio. You know you already have them.’

‘Yeah, but I just really like spending time with you.’

Ignis smiled and turned to kiss him briefly, must more chaste than he had been earlier, but Gladio could still see the fire burning behind his eyes. ‘Lead the way.’

Gladio ordered them a pair of specialty lattes when they go to the coffee shop. The combination of mint and chocolate was one he knew Ignis would love. He smiled. It was surreal, being here, sitting in the dim lights waiting for their coffees with Ignis’ fingers laced through his own. He had dreamed of scenes like the one back in the club washroom for certain, but, and he would never admit this to anyone, he had dreamed of this more. Simply being here, he and Ignis making the occasional casual, comfort contact, well, that was beyond any of the expectations he could have had for his evening. It felt like he was flying, his spirits were so high.

‘You’re staring,’ Ignis accused, the smile on his face ruining the effect of his stern tone.

‘Can’t help it,’ Gladio smiled, only tearing his eyes away when their coffees were ready, and even then, only long enough to grab their drinks and return with them. He handed Ignis his coffee. ‘I think you’re gonna love this.’

Ignis accepted it and took a sip, smiling widely. ‘Gladio, this is delicious.’

‘Knew it,’ Gladio grinned. He paused for a minute, looking at Ignis closely for a minute before asking the question that had been burning on his mind since Ignis’ admission in the washroom. ‘So, uh, what did you mean by ‘smitten’ back there?’

Ignis went a little pink and took a longer sip than normal, appearing to think carefully.

'Well, it meant exactly that,' he said slowly. 'I'm at that point where I can't even remember a time where I haven't been in love with you.’

Gladio sat in almost a full minute of shocked silence before he smiled, feeling warmth radiating from the tips of his fingers and down to his toes. 'Well that's lucky. I just kinda resigned myself to unrequited misery. Let's just say you're really good at keeping this stuff to yourself. Especially after seeing you at the club tonight and uh, hearing about your being a regular, I just assumed I was completely delusional in ever dreaming you'd be interested in me.'

'By being a regular, you of course mean my reputation as _the Grinder_ ,' Ignis smiled wryly. ‘It’s an interesting name, if a little violent. I don’t _believe_ I’ve been unduly cruel to anyone.’

'Hey, that’s not for me to question or judge, Iggy.’

Ignis’ smile turned soft. ‘They were an attempt at distraction, but clearly none held the appeal you do. I won’t claim it wasn’t a little self-destructive – it certainly wasn’t healthy behaviour – but, well, I’m not _always_ a logical being.’

Gladio had no response to that other than to lean in and kiss him, ignoring the barista, a twenty-something girl who seemed a little _too_ disinterested in them to be believable. He didn’t really care if they had an audience; he was finally – despite so long telling himself it would never happen – kissing Ignis; that was all he had the mental capacity to care about at the moment.

Ignis pulled away with a chuckle. ‘You’re _certain_ you want to be here and not, er, _elsewhere_? If you keep kissing me like that I might not have much restraint left, public or no.’

Gladio snorted. ‘Gods, I did not imagine you as such a…’

‘Fiend?’ Ignis raised a teasing eyebrow. ‘I’ve gotten a taste, Gladio. I’m generally rather well-versed in personal temperance, but well, in this particular case, I believe I’ve been starved well past the point of ability to care.’

‘Gods, you’re making it really hard for me to make this a real date,’ Gladio closed his eyes. ‘I just want to drag you home, and you being so damn enticing ain’t helping.’

‘Good,’ Ignis wore a self-satisfied smirk that Gladio was itching to kiss right off his face.

‘Finish your drink, Iggy,’ Gladio sighed, gulping down the rest of his coffee.

Ignis drained his cup and grinned. ‘I’ll repeat the question, then. Your place or mine?’

‘Well, yours is closer,’ Gladio shrugged, getting to his feet and grabbing Ignis’ cup to bring them over to the bin. ‘I don’t think we’ll make it to mine.’

‘Perfect,’ Ignis grabbed Gladio’s hand and dragged him out of the coffee shop and started off down the street, Gladio almost struggling to keep up until they fell into stride with each other.

‘Are we going to jog all the way over?’

‘We could,’ Ignis shot him a snarky look. ‘I’m always open to a warmup before _intense_ physical activity.’

Gladio stopped in his tracks and tugged on Ignis’ hand, pulling him into a fierce kiss. ‘If you keep that up, we’re not even gonna make it to your place.’

‘Your lack of self control is not my problem,’ Ignis smirked.

Gladio groaned. _Fuck_ , but that man could even make a reprimand sound like the sexiest phrase in the history of language. He made to pull him into another kiss but paused when Ignis put a gentle hand to his chest to stop him.

‘Patience, Gladio. Not far now,’ Ignis’ teasing smirk faded into an affectionate smile. ‘I can joke all I like, but my self control is not perfect. I’d rather not get us arrested for public indecency tonight.’

‘Just tonight?’

‘That remains to be seen.’

‘Has anyone ever told you you’re a tease?’ Gladio started them off again towards Ignis’ apartment, eschewing holding his hand and instead wrapping a large arm around Ignis’ slim waist.

‘More times than I care to count, honestly,’ Ignis chuckled, falling into easy step at his side. ‘Not everyone enjoys being told they really aren’t _relationship material_. It’s unfortunate for them, really, as sometimes a night of fun is all you need to, er, take your mind off things.’

Gladio eyed the hint of pink ghosting at the tops of Ignis’ cheeks and smiled, feeling a flutter in his heart. ‘By things, do you by any chance mean me?’

The pink deepened into a light cherry red that Gladio thought looked rather pretty against the paleness of Ignis’ complexion. He leaned in to kiss it, feeling the heat through his lips.

‘Hmph. The big bad Grinder’s not so tough now, is he?’

‘You’ve melted my cold, steel heart,’ Ignis snorted. ‘I can’t grind with softened metal now, can I?’

‘I’ll have you grinding plenty, don’t you worry.’

‘Now which one of us is the tease?’ Ignis tutted, leading the way up the walk towards his townhouse, pulling out his key and stuffing it into the lock before Gladio wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his lips in the crook of Ignis’ neck. ‘Tsk. Such impatience.’

‘Tell me you want to slow down,’ Gladio teased and nipped lightly at the place where Ignis’ neck met his shoulder, enjoying the shiver it sent shuddering through his lean frame.

Ignis opened the front door and pulled Gladio inside with him, twisting around in his grip and pushing Gladio backwards, pressing him into the closed door and biting his way back to reclaiming control. Gladio allowed it, responding with enthusiasm to Ignis’ every move, which really seemed to only spur him on as though he were trying to catch him off guard.

Gladio wasn’t about to be a mere passive participant, so he pushed forward, stepping away from the door and pushing Ignis into the wall next to it, knee pressing upward in between Ignis’ thighs, drawing an odd strangled sound out of Ignis’ lips that Gladio promptly swallowed.

‘Are we gonna do this here or do you wanna go somewhere a bit more comfortable?’ Gladio pulled away, breathing heavily, pupils blowing wide at the sight of Ignis’ reddened, dishevelled expression. Seized with the knowledge he couldn’t take much more teasing, Gladio lifted Ignis up and tossed him over his shoulder, carting him off towards the bedroom.

Gladio tossed Ignis down onto his bed, barely giving him a moment to land before pressing himself on top of him to resume the kiss hungrily. Ignis more than allowed it, wrapping his arms around Gladio’s neck to tug him closer, settling onto his back so Gladio could settle on top of him, pressing him into the mattress as they both seemed intent on stealing the other’s breath entirely.

Ignis rolled them over, straddling Gladio’s thighs and pulling back to smile down at him. ‘Not that I couldn’t do this all day, but you seem just about ready to burst. Besides, you are still far too dressed for my liking.’

Gladio snorted. ‘You know, I always wondered if you were even a total control freak in the bedroom. I just never thought getting the answer would be this hot.’

Ignis smirked and reached down to tug Gladio’s shirt over his head and tossed it aside, eyes falling on the eagle tattoo that was forming steadily over Gladio’s sculped pectoral and arms and that Ignis knew fanned out across his back. ‘It’s almost finished,’ he murmured, reaching out to run his fingers along the crisp, fresh lines.

‘You like it?’ Gladio rather liked the almost reverent way Ignis’ fingers followed the lines of the eagle’s head.

Ignis nodded, leaning down to follow the lines with his lips next. ‘It suits you,’ he purred against the inky lines, following the dark trails down until he encountered his true mark: a perked and waiting nipple. Ignis flattened his tongue against it, satisfied by the sharp groan he earned himself with the motion. He repeated it, smiling when Gladio’s hand came up to rest in his hair.

‘Iggy, if you keep that up, we aren’t going to get much farther,’ Gladio groaned again as Ignis refused to let up. He tugged at Ignis’ shirt, untucking it so he could unbutton it. ‘Fine. Two can play this game.’

‘That’s kind of the point,’ Ignis shrugged off his shirt and raised an eyebrow. He pulled back and looked down at Gladio, teasing expression fading as he took in the flush on his cheeks and the lust and affection in his eyes as he looked back. ‘How would you like to proceed?’

Gladio smiled. ‘I’m used to being the one who has to take charge, I kind of like having you lead. I’m all yours, Iggy. Grind away and eat me up.’

Ignis grinned and leaned forward to reclaim Gladio’s lips, hands venturing down to Gladio’s belt, swallowing the contented sounds coming from Gladio’s mouth as his hands made quick work of the buckle. He broke away again to reach into the bedside table drawer, producing a condom and a bottle of lubricant. ‘You’re sure, Gladio?’

‘I haven’t been surer about anything in a long time,’ Gladio shimmied out of his trousers, reaching for Ignis’, eager to finally get to see everything Ignis so cruelly kept hidden under his generally fabulous wardrobe.

‘Someone’s eager,’ Ignis chuckled, helping Gladio get him out of his trousers.

‘Thought I made that pretty clear when we barely even made it to the bedroom,’ Gladio finally got his eyeful and smiled. Ignis was all he imagined and _so_ much more. With a smile he trailed his hands down Ignis’ sides, admiring the delighted shudder wracking though Ignis as his fingers ghosted along their mark. Encouraged, Gladio wrapped a large hand around Ignis’ firm length, smirking when Ignis let out a low moan, bucking into his grip. ‘Shiva’s tits, Ignis. I didn’t think you could get any sexier, but you just _love_ proving me wrong, don’t you?’

Ignis smiled. ‘Well, I could certainly say the same to you.’ Reaching down to extricate himself from Gladio’s gentle grip, Ignis slid down Gladio’s torso, peppering quick and lazy kisses along the hard cuts of muscle as he descended, feeling the rapid rise and fall as Gladio sucked in shallow breaths. Ignis could scarcely believe he was doing this, _finally_ doing this with Gladio, and was seized with a sudden desire to slow down and explore, despite every cell in his body screaming at him to speed up.

‘What’s up, Iggy?’ Gladio asked, making Ignis realise he’d paused in his downward path.

‘Sorry, it’s nothing,’ Ignis looked up at him and smiled. ‘Just an inner war with myself to pick a slow explorative pace over the frenzy I feel myself slipping into.’

‘Iggy, if you don’t join me in the frenzy, I’m probably going to explode,’ Gladio rolled his eyes. ‘There’ll be time for slow later, but _please_ , right now, I just need you to keep going. I _really_ liked where it was headed.’

Ignis snorted and turned his attention back to the task at hand, admiring the firm length standing completely at attention and licked his lips. Gladio certainly was large in every way. He noticed Gladio’s attention snap to his mouth at the motion of his tongue and repeated it, containing the smirk that was fighting to wash across his face at the sheer _need_ painted across Gladio’s face. The knowledge that _he_ was the reason for Gladio’s current state washed over him and Ignis felt a new fire burn through his veins and dipped for a taste, parting red lips around the swollen tip and descending slowly, taking the length slowly and listening to now strangled sounds coming from Gladio as he moved.

A heavy hand wound its way through Ignis’ hair as he gave an experimental suck, liking the way Gladio’s fingers tightened around a fistful of his hair in response. Ignis gave another, slightly harder suck pulling back when Gladio caught himself before bucking into Ignis’ mouth and tugged on Ignis’ hair.

‘I don’t wanna choke you, Iggy,’ he used his thumb to wipe away a trail of saliva from Ignis’ chin. ‘That’d ruin the mood before you really get started.’

‘You underestimate me,’ Ignis smiled coyly, still touched by the care Gladio was able to show even as his eyes were completely hazy with lust.

‘Please, Iggy, I just… I wanna feel you, ok?’

‘Ok,’ Ignis nodded, uncapping the bottle of lubricant and coating his fingers liberally before reaching downward, slowly circling his mark and coating the tight entrance in slick liquid before pressing in gently, chuckling when he was greeted by a sharp moan and the bucking of Gladio’s hips towards him. He leaned down to kiss him as he worked him gently open, swallowing down the deliciously sensuous sounds coming out of Gladio’s mouth as Ignis moved within him. ‘You’ve no idea what you’re doing to me, have you?’ Ignis whispered against his lips, biting his lip at the sight of a flushed and practically writhing Gladio beneath him.

‘I think I can put two and two together,’ Gladio teased breathlessly before Ignis bit his lip and added a finger, cutting off any further sound from Gladio that wasn’t a simple, guttural moan. Ignis loved this, listening to sounds Gladio made when Ignis found just the right place, the way his hips rolled to encourage his movements, the way his large hands were exploring the planes of his back while he worked – Ignis almost wanted it to never end, even as his body screamed at him for release.

‘Are you ready?’ Ignis whispered against swollen lips when he felt Gladio was sufficiently prepared.

‘Six Iggy, _yes_ ,’ Gladio groaned out. ‘ _Please_ hurry it up – you’re going to break me if you keep up the teasing.’

Ignis smirked and briefly considered teasing Gladio some more, before a large hand curled in his hair and gave a slight tug. He looked down to see a stern expression looking back at him through the hazy lust and rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, Gladio, my impatient, well, not _little_ –’

‘Not the time to come up with nicknames, Ignis,’ Gladio gave another, sharper tug at Ignis’ hair, pleased that this spurred Ignis into action.

He pulled out his fingers and reached for the condom, applying it carefully before kneeling between Gladio’s thick, muscular thighs. Ignis took a moment to admire the sight of Gladio, spread out before him like a rich buffet and swallowed back a lump of emotion that welled up inside him as he thought of how long he had wanted this, coupled with the realisation of how much better it was than he had ever imagined. Seeing Gladio getting impatient with him again, Ignis reached down and guided himself to Gladio’s slickened and prepared entrance, pressing in slowly, feeling Gladio opening up for him with ease. He let out a soft moan as the tight heat pressed around him and took a second to steady himself before he began to move.

He started slowly, taking in all the sensations as they came, as well as all the sounds Gladio made every time Ignis withdrew and pushed forward, trying out a few angles until his found the one that drew a louder, more violent sound from Gladio’s lips, accompanied by a violent shudder down his entire body. Ignis smiled and pulled back, pumping forward to hit that spot again, watching Gladio’s raw expression as his eyes glazed over again. It was a sight Ignis could comfortably lose himself in for hours, at least if his own brain weren’t fogging in a haze of need and desire. Ignis increased his pace slightly, reaching down to wrap still-slicked fingers around Gladio’s firm shaft, feeling a twitch or a pulse with every hit against Gladio’s prostate. Ignis pushed on, knowing it wouldn’t be much longer for either of them; he could _feel_ how close Gladio was to climax with every pump of his hips and every expert flick of his wrist. The mere knowledge that he was the one bringing him to that point was enough to drive Ignis completely mad with want, and he increased his pace again, feeling Gladio respond in kind, rolling his hips in perfect rhythm with Ignis, hands travelling down Ignis’ back to pull him closer, breathing out words of encouragement alongside demands for Ignis to keep going. Ignis was all too happy to oblige.

Gladio’s release was almost violent, coating both his and Ignis’ stomachs in white ribbons and pearls, the shudders and pulses of his orgasm working double duty to drag Ignis over with him not too long afterward. Ignis finished with a harsh moan, fingernails digging into the smooth skin covering Gladio’s hips as he rode the blissful waves of pleasure to completion.

‘ _Fuck_ ,’ Gladio was the first to catch his breath enough to speak, looking up at Ignis with a soft expression. ‘Iggy… holy shit.’

‘I might say the same,’ Ignis caught his breath and pulled out carefully to deal with the condom before flopping down onto the bed next to Gladio’s still shuddering body.

‘You know,’ Gladio said after a moment’s silence, turning his head to look at Ignis. ‘I’d pictured what it might be like to be with you… like a _lot_.’

‘Hm?’ Ignis seemed too exhausted to say much else. He sucked in a deep breath and blinked slowly before finding the energy to say anything more. ‘And did I live up to the hype?’

‘Fuck, Iggy, you put the hype to shame,’ Gladio laughed and reached out to smooth Ignis’ hair away from his face. ‘That was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. I see where the name comes from, too. I feel like I’ve been ground up and spit back out.’

Ignis snorted. ‘I believe the reputation is more regarding the way I spit them right back out the door, afterwards; _despite_ making my intentions perfectly clear.’

‘But you’re not kicking me out the door,’ Gladio noted, his smiled turning back into the soft expression Ignis was quickly coming to adore.

Ignis slid closer to kiss him lightly, pulling back with a smile. ‘No, I’m not.’

‘Grinder’s gone soft,’ Gladio stretched lazily before reaching out to pull Ignis closer, not caring if the mess he’d made on both of them got them stuck together. He never wanted Ignis out of his arms again.

Ignis pecked a kiss to his check and chuckled. ‘Give it time. I’m sure I can harden up again for you.’

Gladio joined him in laughter, loving the easy way they fell back into their routine of banter, even after completely leaping over the realm of friendship and into… well, as he looked at Ignis laying languidly pressed up against him, he knew he was falling pretty fast and hard into love territory. And if the way Ignis looked back at him were anything to go on, he thought it was pretty safe to think Ignis felt the same.

‘I’d suggest we clean up a little, but I hardly want to move,’ instead of moving away, Ignis snuggled closer, tossing an arm over Gladio’s midsection to press himself more comfortably against Gladio’s side.

‘Iggy, I don’t care if we never leave this bed again,’ Gladio wrapped strong arms around him, burying his lips in soft hair, inhaling the scent of hair product and _Ignis_ with a contented sigh. He knew Crowe would be texting him in the morning to make sure he was alright, probably assuming he was just another victim to Ignis’ reputed hunger. He knew he’d probably need to explain himself at some point for simply leaving her at the club too, but really didn’t have the energy or brain power to care about that at the moment. All he cared about was the man in his arms, known to so many as a cold, steely man merely out for a night of pleasure before spitting them back out. Gladio knew better than to think he’d suffer the same fate, especially feeling the way Ignis laid up against him, fingers playing lazily in his hair, lips ghosting along the underside of his jaw. He couldn’t help but smile. It seemed the Grinder was no more; all that remained was Ignis – fiery and passionate to the verge of insatiable for certain, but Gladio would have him no other way.


End file.
